Another Choice

Chapter 16-Devastation

She can see an arrow shot firing towards her, but her body won't move. She felt that her body was paralyzed with shock.

"Haneul! Watch out!!"He shouted angrily while shoving her body away. She slumped into the ground gasping out of horror. 'I almost died...' she thought, but she quickly realized that he saved her life again. She turns her head away and seeing Tal Tal bleeding badly. She saw the enemy's arrow pierce through his chest, only slightly away from his heart. He is coughing out of blood, she started to cry and begging him not to die.

"Sabonim!!Please...I'm begging you don't leave just yet. Somebody help him please!!"She shouted desperately for help. "Anyone?! Commander Jadan, please!! Please help him!!" Even though, she vowed to only show her strongest side to others. But, that time when she saw him fall in front of her, she can't help to turn herself into a scared little child that hasn't been trained to be a tough soldier.

Commander Jadan heard her shout and ran as fast as he can towards them. "You fool! Don't cry, your tears won't help him. Quickly helped him get on his feet, we need to take him back inside the Yuan's fortress. He'll be saved there." They helped Tal Tal get on his feet and dragged him to his horse. "Ride back to the border. I can't leave the battlefield just yet." She nodded and holding his body tight while spurring the horse. After an hour of riding, they finally arrived at the border.

"Open the gates!! General Tal Tal is severely wounded, bring the physician!!" She shouted to the soldiers that guarded the border's gate. The soldiers opened the gate and Haneul rushed the horse to got through the gate. "Where is the physician??! I need him now." She shouted angrily.

One of the soldiers said," You'll need to ride towards the west to find his house, my lady."

She quickly spurs her horse towards the physician's house. 'Please hang in there. Just a little bit more. Please...' she prayed inside his heart. Her heart aches when she saw Tal Tal gasping out of pain in his chest. She felt really guilty and useless. He saved her again. Yet, she still no use to him. Finally, they arrived at the physician's house. They were greeted by a man.

"Why such in a hurry miss?" The man asked.

"Are you blind? Can't you see that the general is wounded badly?" Haneul replied angrily.

"My apology, my lady. I'll call my master right away." The man replied quickly while helping Haneul bring Tal Tal to the medication room. When the physician arrived, Tal Tal was coughing blood again. Haneul looked at him with fear in her eyes. She won't be able to bear to see his death. Not long after, the physician enters the room in hurried. "What took you so long??!! The general will died!! Do something!" She cried. She turned back to a small hopeless little girl who can't do anything besides crying and begging.

The physician ordered all of them to get out of the room. She nervously waits outside.

What took him so long to examine Tal Tal. Will, he survived. She can only hope that he did. Not long after, the physicians come out. He said," I pick the arrow out of his chest and I already wrap up his wound with bandages. But, before I wrap up his wound, I notice a blue mark around his wound. This means that the arrow is poisoned. I tried to give him the antidote, but it seems the poison has taken its effect, he threw up all the medicine that I gave to him. If he didn't drink it, he won't be able to survive."

"Where is the antidote??" Haneul asked. The physician gave her a bow full of the antidote solution. She took the bowl and went inside the room where Tal Tal is laying. She can see Tal Tal aching from the pain caused by the poison. Tears started dripping from her eyes. A year ago, he resented this man for capturing and torturing her, but a year has passed. She realized, she never meets anyone that care for her as much as Tal Tal did. It's time for me to repay his kindness. She drinks the medicine and slowly put her lips until it met Tal Tal's lips. Tal Tal unconsciously gagged and tried to throw up the medicine, but Haneul forced him to drink all of them.

(This scene is similar when Seung-Nyang kiss Ta Hwan to made him drink the medicine)

She continued to this for a week when Tal-Tal finally regains his consciousness.

"Ha-Haneul?" Tal Tal asked his vision is still a bit blurry. He tried to get up from his bed.

"Sabonim, don't get up, you need to lay in your bed. You haven't fully healed yet." She gently pushed Tal Tal to lay back on the bed.

"Are you alright? You're not hurt right?" Tal Tal looked at her with a worried gaze.

"Sabonim, are you insane??! You're the one who almost died. You're unconscious for a week. Why would you shove me away at that time? The arrow hit you because you tried to protect me." Haneul cried.

Tal Tal smiled," Don't cry, please. You know that as a soldier you can't shed tears only blood, right? So, don't cry." He moved his hand to wipe away Haneul's tears. She chuckled and said," I don't care, I cried because you almost died because of me. So, get well soon, alright?"

Tal Tal smiled and nodded. "How about others? How many casualties did we have?" He asked. Haneul replied," We lost around twenty of our men, while the rebels lost around two hundred. So, we win and able to gain our border territory. You shouldn't worry about the war affairs, let me and Commander Jadan handle it. You should rest and focus on your recovery." She always stayed by his side days and nights for almost a month until Tal Tal fully recovered.